1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods and apparatuses for providing computer generated illustrations over a video image in real time. More specifically, the invention relates to methods and apparatuses for generating graphic images over video based on selections made by a user taking advantage of a special interface that enables the graphics to be generated quickly during the course of a live television broadcast.
2. Description of the Related Art
The value of a live television broadcast can be increased greatly by incorporating live graphics illustration, usually with a digital painting application which allows the announcer to draw lines and symbols which appear over a live or videotaped image. Such a digital painting application is commonly known as a Telestrator.RTM.. This allows an announcer to describe a complex play in a sporting event, detail some weather phenomenon on a map, or to highlight some aspect of a news video. By augmenting what can be shown by camera alone, these graphics greatly increase the viewer's understanding and enjoyment of a televised event.
The current technology for doing this illustration has several limitations. First, the quality of the appearance of the graphics is very poor, especially compared to the excellent titles and animation typically used in a major broadcast. The lines are shaky, jagged, often show corners in what should be smooth curves, and their appearance is usually limited to a single solid color. Second, it is very difficult for an announcer to draw the complex diagram that he has in mind while talking and under the pressure associated with a live broadcast. Graphics produced under such conditions are frequently misplaced, incomplete, awkwardly shaped, and difficult to decipher. Third, what is often required to present an idea is the ability to create a simple animation, to show for example how a sports play develops, and a static paint system is incapable of generating animation. Finally, it is often useful once a diagram or animation is created, to be able to look at it from several angles in three dimensions (3D), and a paint system is limited to displaying the drawing strokes in two dimensions (2D) as they are generated on the screen.
These limitations are a result of the limited capabilities of current telestrator technology that simply provides a bit mapped input from a touch screen over video. In order to address these problems, what is needed is an improved system for generating graphics over a video image. Specifically, an interface is needed that would enable graphics to be generated very quickly in real time while an announcer is describing a play or replay. A system is needed for quickly transforming rough input from an announcer or other user into high quality graphics that appear on the screen in a manner that is dynamic. It would further be useful if the system could facilitate the fast creation of animations, and if those animations could be synchronized to a video playback. It would also be useful if generated diagrams could be reoriented in three dimensions, so that they could be transferred to views at different camera angles. Finally, if sound effects or predefined graphic enhancements could be added to the animations, the entertainment value of the display could be enhanced.